Fed up with people selling felicias describing the 1.3's as having VW engines, and trying to make out that VW involvement somehow makes the car much better and reliable? (Presumably compared with a "Skoda"). :confused:

Something makes me feel a little like religiously hitting "ask seller a question" on ebay and pointing out the felicia's design had no VW involvement, and that the 1.3 engine is all skoda's masterpiece. Lol. Nah maybe I should just go with the flow, suppose you got to do what you can to get the best price on your car when selling it.

The 1.3 engine sure is Skodas own work - not quite true to say VW had no input - to my understanding they influenced Skodas as early as the 1993 Facelifted Favorits.

Ah there are parts under my 94 favorit bonnet with VAG logos. I assumed it was because VAG owned Skoda and it was just that VAG parts were used but the design was all Skoda's. But I suppose if you are substituting parts then that is VAG involvement.

Weren't VW responsible for the Felly's leaking windscreen?

I agree with what your saying and VW standards nor customer service is that good, The felicia started to change skoda to what it is today, yet i cant help but feel Skoda would not be where they are today without VW

I get fed up with "that" discription too ! I noticed the VW influence must have made Felicia tailgates rust to the point of a recall,my Favorit is in far better condition even though it is kept outside all the time.As for the 1.3 lump,thank god VW did not create it as it would have come with terrible fuel economy and a nasty timing belt !

I agree - without VW Skoda probably wouldn't be here today.

The 1.3 - is now used in the Fabia - as the 1.4 so I have been told - so they have just made some refinements to it, to continue its use.

VW have caused one or two issues in their takeover of Skoda - as mentioned dodgy tailgates and windscreens. Though I think its fair to say that least they did or Skoda may have suffered an ending like Lada!

1) i hate it too!

2) the 1.3 engine has VW branded parts on it yes - however the design is still theirs, and the VW parts were ones that were compatible and used. if not these, PAL items would have been used as tend to wish they had been.

3) every postVW fav i've had has had rust and leak issues. not so in preVW cars (save skodas infamous sunroof seals!)

4) if VW had not stepped in with money when they did, the over-stretched commie-stolen finances of Skoda would have collapsed and left them bankrupt

5) Lada haven't "ended"!!

As I understand it Lada couldn't make the engines they used at the time fuel injected when European laws required it so could no longer be legally sold in the UK, and my guess is this combined with their poor reputation led to Lada's pull out of the UK market.

A little search on the net reveals that intriguingly Lada are trying to get their cars in the World Touring Car Championships autosport.com - WTCC News: Lada could still join WTCC in '07 although missed 2006.

The car dealer wasn't too impressed when I pulled him up on describing the 1.4MPi in my wife's car as a VW engine. A few mutterings about Description of Goods and he scuttled away and left me and SWMBO to it. Still bought the car though!!!

Lada make one of the best 4x4 in the world, the Cossack , or atleast they did make it

The car dealer wasn't too impressed when I pulled him up on describing the 1.4MPi in my wife's car as a VW engine. A few mutterings about Description of Goods and he scuttled away and left me and SWMBO to it. Still bought the car though!!!

Wonder if he did in fact have a genuine clue about the origins of the engine, or if this is the sales patter they tell them to use.

Lada make one of the best 4x4 in the world, the Cossack , or atleast they did make it

It was actually called the 'Niva'. 'Cossack' and 'Hussar' were editions, like the 'County' and 'Defender' versions of the Landy. They obviously suffered from all the quality issues that plagued the Eastern Bloc producers (Skoda included of course, pre-VAG) but were perfectly capable, given that the original 1970s design never really got developed. Certainly no worse than the original Suzuki Vitara, which is about the only comparable mini-4x4 that springs to mind...

Didn't see many hairdressers driving Nivas, though!

Wonder if he did in fact have a genuine clue about the origins of the engine, or if this is the sales patter they tell them to use.

Sales patter, I reckon. It wasn't bought from a Skoda dealer, and TBH, I reckon the guy knew lass about cars than SWMBO. We were going to buy it before we even went to see it, barring unfixable faults. (Which implies it had 'fixable' faults, which it did - but at least they're sorted now, unlike the leaky rear doors on mine... )

niva cossack was the best. i want one.

Only knew one chap with a Lada Niva and he admitted it had been nothing but trouble. I always liked their functional looks but he said don't bother.

I used to have a Niva ,brilliant off road but on road was lucky to get 16mpg around town from a 1.6 engine :eek: My mates V8 Range Rover did more !!

Yes, Lada is still going strong

make some half decent looking motors now

and is coming back to the UK soon

have to agree anewman , it rankles (is there such a word) me when i see 1.3s advertised as VW engines